Short Short Stories: 9 Reasons to Use them in High School English

One of my favorite teaching techniques for high school English has to be using short short stories. Sometimes these are called Flash Fiction. Other times they are called Micro Fiction.

No matter what you call them, a short short story is one that you can read in under 10 minutes which means that generally it is under 1000 words.

They are perfect for introducing and practicing any content. You can introduce terms literary devices and terms, themes, essential questions and more. All without the overwhelm of something longer.

9 Reasons to use Short Short Stories in High School English

One: Short short stories can be read in under 10 minutes.

Sometimes longer works can be intimidating to struggling or reluctant readers. However, when you hand out a complete short story that fits on one or two pages, that intimidation factor is gone.

And, there is the added bonus that you can give students class time to read and still have plenty of time to do activities.

Two: They can be read and reread (all in one class period)

I love using very short stories because they are so quick to read, that you can accomplish a lot in one class period, including multiple readings. This is one of the reasons I use them for my first unit in this Flash Fiction Boot Camp. I not only want to assess what they know, but I want to instill confidence in my students who will “Google it” rather than try to think it through. They don’t have time to look it up if they have to do it all in class (without their electronic devices).

9 reasons to use very short short stories in high school English.

Three: Very short Stories are Perfect for Close Reading

Arguably one of the most important skills an AP® English student can learn is close reading. It is an important skill for multiple choice and the prose essay. Using a very short short story is the perfect way to focus on close reading. For a simple close reading framework, check out this post.

Four: Use Flash Fiction to Focus on Multiple Literary Criticism Approaches

Helping students understand literary criticism approaches (like the hero’s journey) and reader response can be a challenge with high school students. But using a short short story can be an easy entry point.

I love using Margaret Atwood’s very short story “Happy Endings” to examine the story through multiple lens. We first read with a reader response model, then we expand into feminist criticism, historical criticism and archetypal and more. It is a great way to introduce or review the different lenses.

You can also read about using three different literary lenses with Raymond Carver’s “Popular Mechanics” in this post.

Five: Read a Story a Day for a Whole Unit

My favorite way to open the year is through a flash fiction boot camp. In this short short story boot camp for AP® Literature, students focus on reviewing or expanding a new skill each day throughout the unit. You can read more about short story boot camp in this post or purchase the unit here.

9 reasons to use Flash Fiction in high school English.

Six: Short Short Stories make a Great Filler or Emergency Sub Plans

Sometimes, you just need a one-off lesson. You have to be out or there is only one day until the start of a break and you don’t want to start a new unit. Using short short stories in these situations is perfect. The students can complete the story and the assignments in one class period not leaving anything hanging over for when you return or after break.

Seven: Use them to Focus on Literary Elements

There are times when you want to focus on teaching or expanding your students’ understanding of a literary element. Using a very short story is a great way to do this.

My English 11 and AP students understand the basics of point of view when they start my class, but I like them to go a little deep by understanding the different types of first person point of view like innocent-eye and stream of consciousness. Using very short stories are a great way to expose students to these concepts without overwhelming them with additional story aspects.

One of my favorite short stories for innocent-eye narrator is “Snow” by Julia Alvarez.

Eight: They are Perfect for Quick Literary Analysis Assessments

If you need a literary analysis assessment, these really short work are perfect for a cold read and a timed writing. The College Board made use of this in 2004 when they used Katharine Brush’s flash fiction “Birthday Party.” My students love reading this one and doing collaborative annotations before writing. But you could just as easily give them the prompt. (I have all the activities my students do with “Birthday Party” along with an updated version of the prompt here.)

Or, you can have students complete a double entry journal for a more formative type of assessment.

Nine: Focus on Writing Skills with Very Short Stories

Using mentor texts is a great way to help students work on their writing skills. This is precisely what students do using “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros in this quick back to school unit: Hello My Name Is…

If you are looking for more on using mentor sentences and mentor texts, my friend Missy over at a Better Way to Teach and the English Teacher Vault is the expert. You can check it out in this post.

Looking for a quick win in high school English? Use short short stories. Here are 9 reasons to use them.

Where to Find Short Short Stories

You can find my list of the best short short stories online right here on my site: 20 Short Short Stories for AP® Literature.

Some other really great resources for very short short stories are Owlcation where they have a list of Very Short Stories for Middle and High School Students to Read Online and American Literature’s list of 75 Short Short Stories.

Do you have a favorite short short story you think I should check out? Leave it in the comments below.